Sony has announced the release of firmware update 4.25 to the PS3 platform, bringing with it an increase to its cloud storage capacity from 150 MB to 1 GB for PlayStation Plus subscribers. Non-subscribers will still not have access to the feature. The firmware update has been teased since Sony’s Gamescom press conference back in April.

Eric Lempel, VP of Sony Network Entertainment, briefly detailed the update in a post on the PlayStation blog:

After you’ve installed the update, simply go to the Saved Data Utility under the Game column of the XMB. From there you can access the Online Storage folder and find any existing game saves already uploaded, as well as the increase in space to 1GB. So set your automatic download to upload every game save for every compatible game you play and enjoy the additional breathing room. You can also continue to use this feature to selectively upload game saves you specify.

Analysis: As much as I generally like to poke fun at the endless amount of firmware updates that Sony loves to churn out at such a high rate without adding any truly new features and sometimes even taking some away, adding another 850 MB for cloud saves is a welcome addition to what has become a very appealing package in PlayStation Plus for the company.

I was skeptical at first of Sony adding a subscription to their online service, but I’ve found that their implementation of it for the most part has been quite well done. It rewards players who choose to throw down a little bit of extra cash with additional content or providing discounts rather than offering them services that should be free or locking out simple features behind a pay wall.

Let’s just add that the expansion of the cloud save storage is another addition to a growing amount of reasons to stop putting off renewing my subscription.

(EDIT @ 1047, 9/12/12: An earlier version of this article had that there was a 750MB difference in storage space instead of 850. This simple typographical error – commonly referred to as a “fat finger” – has been addressed. We apologize for the grievous inconvenience – CEB)

About Nathan Wood

When he picked up a controller on that fateful day at the age of 6, Nathan had no idea how quickly it would captivate him. Enjoying a wide range of games, he is up for anything as long as it is of good quality, interesting or laughably bad. When not playing or writing about video games, he enjoys music, film, basketball and art. He is currently completing his last year of his IB diploma before mastering the great land known only as: University.